Biography

Few artistic legacies are more interesting than that of Joseph Jacinto Mora (1876-1947). Mora's artistic gifts range over a wide variety of mediums including drawing, painting, illustration, cartooning, sculpture, photography, mapmaking and writing; their diversity being an amazing accomplishment for one person. Mora was born in Uruguay on October 22, 1876, moved to the eastern United States when he was a young child and then, after attending art school and working as an illustrator and cartoonist in the Boston area, spent the rest of his adult life living and working in the western United States, the last twenty-seven of which were in Carmel and Pebble Beach.

In 1920, Mora moved to Carmel from the San Francisco bay area to work on what was to become his masterpiece - the Father Serra Cenotaph, in the Memorial Chapel in El Camelo Mission. Carmel priest Ramon Mestres commissioned Mora to create the bronze and travertine memorial, along with a cross and altar, that were dedicated on October 12, 1924.

In spite of moving to Pebble Beach, after living in Carmel, Jo's presence continued to be felt in Carmel. Concurrent with his work at the mission, Mora carved the wooden oak  Serra Shrine located at Camino Del Monte and Alta, as a commission for S.F.B. Morse, for what was to be the gateway to Morse's residential subdivision - Del Monte Properties (Pebble Beach). This Carmel landmark was dedicated on July 22, 1922.

Jo is probably best known publicly for the series of maps - or cartes as he referred to them - that he created. These historically accurate, humorous and collectable prints have entertained viewers for years. His homage to Carmel, the Carmel-By-The Sea carte was printed in 1942 and highlights much of the colorful history of the town.

More information:

The Year of the Hopi: Paintings and Photographs by Joseph Mora, 1904-06. Smithsonian Institute with essays. 1979. This is about Mora's time with the Hopi including examples of his artistic efforts at the time.

Jo Mora: Renaissance Man of the West by Stephen Mitchell. 1994. An excellent biography of Jo Mora - Stephen had access to Mora family information that few people ever saw.

Collecting Jo Mora by Joss Grandeau and Don Shorts. First full sized issue printed in 1995, this is the first effort by anyone to begin to get a handle on the specific artistic accomplishments of Jo Mora. Joss and Don did a great job, and their effort still rings full of important information.

Jo Mora, Carmel's Cowboy Artist by Bonnie Gartshore 1998. Bonnie wrote for the Monterey Herald and was a true supporter of Jo Mora's efforts. This is a short biography she wrote about Jo.

Jo Mora: Artist and Writer essays by Betty Hoag McGlynn and Mary Murray. 1998. Published in color in conjunction with the Jo Mora retrospective at the Monterey Museum of Art. Betty also published several essays, in different issues, about Jo Mora in the Monterey History and Art Association newsletter Noticias.

Back to the Drawing Board with Artist Jo Mora by Julianne Burton-Carvajal. 2003.  Life, works and exhibitions of Jo Mora compilied in a very well organized manner with information previously found scattered in many different places and sources.

The Story of the Father Junipero Serra Memorial Cenotaph. 2006. Published in conjunction with the exhibit The California Mission Art of Jo Mora at the Carmel Mission. The complete story of the sculpture effort Mora considered his crowning achievement.

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